Top beneficiaries in 2016 were primarily major coastal cities, led by the Miami metropolitan area

International immigration is giving a boost to population growth in big urban areas in the U.S. even as local residents flee for places with lower housing costs, new research suggests.

The top beneficiaries of international immigration were primarily major coastal cities, led by the Miami metropolitan area, where immigration accounted for 1.1% of year-over-year population growth in 2016, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data released Thursday by Jed Kolko, chief economist at job-search firm Indeed and a senior fellow...